Back assembly for composite metal and wood chairs



March 7, 1944. J. 5. BURDICK BACK ASSEMBLY FOR COMPOSITE METAL AND WOODCHAIRS Original Filed July 18, 1941 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 7, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-I BACK ASSEIWBLY FORCOMPOSITE METAL AND WOOD CHAIRS John s. Burdick, North Muskegon, Mich.,assignor to The Shaw-Walker Company, Muskegon, Mich., a corporation ofMichigan Original application July 18, 1941, Serial No. 402,912. Dividedand this application June-il, 1943, Serial No. 490,125

3 Claims. (CL' 155-178) This invention relates to improvements incomposite metal andwood chair structures, and more particularly to asplat back assembly for such chair structures, wherein the main frame ismade of drawn metal tubing, while the splat back portion is made ofwood.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No.402,912, filed July 18, 1941, which later was abandoned.

The object of the present invention is to provide a composite metal andwood chair structure which is comparatively cheap to manufacture, andwherein the metal and wood portions of the splat back are provided withsimple and yet effective means for assembling and rigidly securing theparts together.

The advantages of the invention will appear more clearly as I proceedwith my application.

In the drawing- Figure l is a perspective view of a chair embodying thefeatures of my present invention;

Figure 2 is a view representing a front elevation of the part of thechair back above the seat and showing the details of the improved formof splat back assembly forming the subjectmatter of the presentapplication;

Figure 3 is a partial sectional elevation view in a vertical planeindicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale, in a vertical plane,of the parts indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a plate on a somewhat smaller scale,which is shown partially in a vertical section in Figure 3.

Referring now to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawing, the chair includes an upright open metal frame defining thechair back, with top horizontal rail 2| and upright side rails 22, 22.In the form shown, said top and side rails define the chair back abovethe seat indicated generally at A, and the side rails 22, 22 areprolonged below the seat to constitute the back legs of the chair. Saidframe, as shown, and preferably, is made of a single length of drawntubular metal.

D indicates a back splat assembly, which is preferably made of wood,because cold metal is unpleasant to touch. A further advantage of woodis that it may be readily and economically formed to produce all kindsof ornamentation at a much smaller expense than drawn metal members.

In the form of wood splat assembly shown herein, a horizontal bar 23extends between the side rails 22, 22 of the back frame, and a pluralityof laterally spaced upright bars 24, 24 extend between and are securedat their ends to the bar 23 on the top rail 2| of the back frame. Theupright bars 24 have reduced ends at the top as indicated at 25 (seeFigure 4), which are engaged in suitable openings 26 in the bottom ofthe tubular top rail 2| of the back frame, a shoulder 21 engaging thebottom face of said rail. The bars 24 are similarly engaged in socketsin the top edge of the horizontal wood bar 23 of the splat assembly, andare fixed therein in any usual or familiar manner, as by gluing.

To hold the horizontal bar 23 securely in position with the upright bars24 engaged in the holes in the top rail 2|, I provide the followingconstruction (see Figures 3 and 5). 28 indicates a plate inset into thebottom edge of the horizontal bar 23, there being a plate of the kinddisposed at each end of the bar 23. Said plate is secured to said bar,as by screws 29, 29, and is provided with a tapered dowel 30 which isengaged in an opening 3| in the proximate wall of the tubular side railof the back frame. The two openings 3|, 3| are formed at such distancefrom the top rail 2| that when the plates 28 are secured to the bottombar 23, with the tapered dowels 30 engaged in the openings 3| in thevertical rails 22, 22, and the upright bars are engaged in the top rail2|, as shown in Figure 2, the splat assembly will be properly secured inplace.

It will be understood that when the side rails 22 have not beenconnected together in the vicinity of the seat frame indicated generallyat A, said side rails may be sprung away from each other to a certaindegree so as to facilitate the initial assembling of the splat back,including the horizontal rail 23 and its dowel pins 30. Under mostconditions, however, the chair frame is assembled before the splat backunit is applied thereto. The provision of the separable dowel plates 28makes it possible to apply the horizontal rail 23 and the upright bars24 with respect to the top and side rails 2| and 22 before the dowelplates are attached to the horizontal back rail 23. The dowel pins 30are then inserted in their respective holes in the side rails 22, andthereafter the dowel plates 28 are screwed home against the lowersurface of the horizontal back rail 23. It will now be understood thatthe act of screwing the dowel pins to the horizontal rail 23 will tendto forc the entire back assembly upwardly, with the upright back bars 24under compression in close fitting engagement against the top rail 2|,thereby insuring an especially strong, permanent and rattle-proofconnection between the wood and metal parts of the chair back.

I claim:

1. A composite metal and wood chair including a metal tubularback framewith a top rail and side rails, a wood splat back assembly comprising ahorizontal bar and laterally spaced upright bars fixed thereto andhaving reduced top ends, the top rail of said back frame having spacedholes in which said reduced ends are engaged, and metal platesdetachably connected to the bottom of said horizontal splat bar, saidmetal plates being provided with tapered pins, and the side rails ofsaid back frame being provided with holes in which said tapered. pinsmay be engaged to lock said splat assembly in position.

2. A composite metal and wood chair including a metal tubular back framewith a top rail and side rails, a wood splat back assembly comprising ahorizontal bar and laterally spaced upright bars fixed thereto andhaving reduced top ends, the top rail of said back frame having spacedholes in which said reduced ends are engaged,

and metal plates adapted to be inset in and screwed to the bottom ofsaid horizontal splat bar, said metal plates being provided with taperedpins, and the side rails of said back frame being provided with holes inwhich said tapered pins may be engaged to lock said splat assembly inposition.

3. A composite metal and wood chair including a metal tubular back framewith a top rail and side rails, a wood splat back assembly comprising ahorizontal bar and laterally spaced upright bars fixed thereto andhaving reduced top ends, the top rail of said back frame having spacedholes'in which said reduced ends are engaged, and metal platesdetachably connected to the bottom of said horizontal splat bar, saidmetal plates being provided with tapered pins, and the side rails ofsaid back frame being provided with holes in which said tapered pins maybe engaged to lock said splat assembly in position, with the upper endsof said upright bars fitting under compression against said horizontalbar.

JOHN S. BURDICK.

